


Something waiting

by almwolfhunter07



Series: Post season headcannons [1]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Callum mage staff, Established Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince), F/M, nothing severe, sarai spear to callum staff, slight hate crime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:13:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24414913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/almwolfhunter07/pseuds/almwolfhunter07
Summary: Callum couldn't bare to see his mother's staff be used for something so cruel. Whenever he passes by Avizandum, his heart clenches in anger. Until he comes up with an idea. A terrible, stupid idea that just might work!Basically this story explores the popular idea that Sarai's spear will eventually become Callum's new mage staff, and the story of how it comes to be, from the idea to the execution!
Relationships: Callum & Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Series: Post season headcannons [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1763134
Comments: 7
Kudos: 79





	1. Chapter 1

Callum’s brow furrowed as he once again stared up at the frozen form of the last Dragon King, Avizandum. He had stared at it hundreds of times, and each time, his eyes drifted to his mother’s spear, lodged crudely between the chunks of his scales. When he had first seen it on their arrival to the Storm Spire, he had been filled with rage that a symbol of his mother had been used to do something that no doubt would have been against Sarai’s wishes. If only there was a way to remove it, to shed it of the dark magic tainting it, once and for all…

A sudden idea came to Callum. It was probably stupid, probably wouldn’t work, but he had to try! With a deep breath, he spoke the words that were now so familiar to him. “Manus. Pluma. Volantis!”

Feathers sprouted on his arms, from his shoulders down to his finger tips. Then, where his arms once were, was a giant pair of wings, colored a warm brown that matched his hair. He sent one last determined look at his mother’s spear before flying off towards the spire. 

The first time he had flown, about five months ago, he had acted off of instinct; he didn’t even know how to land, causing him and Rayla to cartwheel over one another, much to a relieved Zym’s glee. He chuckled at the memory. His sudden flight had led him to a long scolding from Ibis and Aunt Amaya (together it had more force than is he would have fallen to his death), while also punishing him with nonstop training from Ibis, dawn to dusk, which Callum didn’t mind too much. With Rayla busy recruiting new Dragon Guard members, he got lonely, so it was nice to have a distraction.

And, with all of that training, Callum was now an expert flyer. He tilted his wings ever so slightly, in order to catch the air flow that rose with the spire. He circled with the wind, tilting his wings to stay with the current. A few beats later and he was rocketing through the air. As he got to the summit, he caught sight of something that made his heart really soar. 

Rayla stood on the summit, staring out across the sky. She was waiting for him, as she did everyday when he was scheduled to be done with practice. Smiling like a fool, he almost lost control and careened into the side of the mountain, but he quickly steadied himself and landed, sloppily, next to her. She giggled, a sound so near and dear to his heart, cause he knew very well she would never giggle in front of anyone but him (and maybe Ethari or Ez, but those were the only two exceptions!)

He walked over to her, stupid grin still plastered to his face. She eyed his wind blown hair before shaking her head and giving him a sweet kiss.

“Wind blow hair is a great look for you.” She teased, running a hand through his hair to put it in order. 

He laughed, gently taking her hand with his now, regular, human arms, gently kissing each finger. “So long as it gives you a reason to fix my hair, you won’t hear me complaining.”  
Rayla shoved him away, both of them laughing at the cheesy line. They kissed one more time before making their way to the atrium, hand in hand. They skirted the stone pedestal in the middle and made their way to the dining hall in comfortable silence. 

When they arrived, the hall was full of commotion as the new Dragon Guard recruits talked among themselves, getting to know one another by reminiscing about their day. Callum nodded at Marcos, an old Katolian guard who agreed to join after Ez, Rayla, and Queen Zubeia agreed that humans would make a great addition to the guard as a show of equality. Another of the guard, Lara, was from Duren, a remarkable soldier that had been at the top of her class. While the two seemed a bit uncomfortable in the presence of so many elves, the fact they were willing to try warmed Callum’s heart. 

The elves, two sunfire elves, two skywing elves, and another moonshadow elf conversed among each other. They seemed to try and invite Marcos and Lara into the conversation before realizing the two humans had nothing to offer in the way of the topic. It wasn’t much, a bit clunky and uncoordinated, but the eight of them had only just met, they would make a great team one day, Callum was sure of it.

Callum and Rayla took their place at the table. Rayla sat at the front end, being appointed captain of the new Guard. Callum, as Rayla’s partner, had the honorary seat beside her (a privilege indeed). Ibis sat on her left, as Archmage and guardian of the sky nexus, he was accepted as a co-head of the spire. While he and Rayla weren’t exactly friendly towards one another, Callum helped bridge the gap between them. Next to Ibis, were his apprentices, four in total, all skywing elves, of course. Callum felt guilty he couldn’t remember their names, but they never interacted with him, so it was kind of hard to. He knew humans weren’t exactly appreciated at the Storm Spire, but his connection to the sky arcanum had at least granted Callum their, begrudging, respect. 

Dinner was a peaceful affair, Callum talked with Rayla mostly, sometimes chiming into another conversation if a topic of interest popped up. As it was winding down, he turned to Ibis.

“Ibis, I was wondering if I would talk to you after dinner.” He glanced at Rayla, who raised an eyebrow at him. “Alone.”

Ibis seemed confused, but nodded. “Meet me in the archives.”

Callum nodded, knowing exactly where he was talking about. During their time at the spire, Callum discovered many nooks and crannies that made for a great hiding place to get away once and awhile. Rayla and him even had some spots they could sneak to for some along time.

A chime signaled that dinner was over. He turned to Rayla, saying he would be back soon. She rolled her eyes and kissed him sweetly. “I guess I can handle a few minutes from out personal time, so long as my sneaky prince tells me what it’s about afterwards.”

Callum laughed. “Of course I will!” He kissed her one more time. “I promise, I won’t be gone long.”

She waved him off, winking at him before heading to their room. A blush settled on his cheeks as he made his way to the archives. It was down a long, spiraling corridor. Every several feet, a window opened up to let in light. Crystals hung from above, like stalactites, that glowed with the light of the moon, illuminating the hall at night. It was only ever truly dark during a new moon, which Callum didn’t mind; Rayla hated him going anywhere when she felt so powerless.

‘It's not that I’m completely cut off from the moon’s magic, it’s still there, of course. It’s just, the moon’s light warms and comforts me, I don’t like it when it’s gone.’ Rayla had explained to him.

It made sense. A few months ago, Callum had gone with Rayla and Queen Zubeia to meet with Rex Igneous for diplomatic reasons. Being so far under ground, Callum had immediately felt weaker. It wasn’t something he was used to, always being surrounded by air, and he hated every second of it.

Thankfully, at the Storm Spire, he felt invincible, the power of the nexus seemed to surge through him. He was grateful of that surge now, as he walked up to the great oak doors of the archives. Hopefully this idea wasn’t so absurd he would make a fool of himself in front of his mentor. Rayla had told him, what felt like a lifetime ago, that he wasn’t a fool, but now he wasn’t so sure. 

With a deep breath, he pushed open the doors. The draconic runes for ‘knowledge is more powerful than a sword’ and ‘wisdom will forever be the key to victory’ was inscribed on the doors. Two great dragons had long been etched into the design, storm dragons, both of them. They sat facing each other, their heads and wings raised to the sky. Ibis had told him that they represented knowledge and wisdom, when they first visited the archives. It was strange, but seeing the dragons gave him a sense of comfort. It was as though they were urging Callum to explore his idea.

A new confidence filled him, and he walked inside. Two parallel lines of pillars lead to a sundial in the middle of the room. The room had been carved smack dab in the middle of the mountain. The giant pillars stood strong against the rock above, bookshelves too held up the ceiling. A window was placed upon every hour of the day, so when the light showed through it, it would light up the corresponding hour. Each row of shelves, stuffed with scrolls and tomes, were carved so the space between them would let in the light, while doubling as a way to access the information. 

The place was truly a piece of art, which made it Callum’s favorite place at the spire. He would often spend hours here on his days off, reading and studying up on the magic of Xadia, with the little knowledge of elvan writing he knew from Rayla and Ibis’ teachings. As he walked deeper into the library, he veered towards the specific corner that he normally claimed during his escapade into the records stored here. 

He smiled as he walked out from between the shelves and saw Ibis waiting there, patiently. His mentor glanced up and smiled at Callum warmly. The dying light showed through the window, situated above the table, lighting the room on fire.

“Hello, Callum.” Ibis greeted, nodding his head.

Callum bowed, respectively. “Master. Thank you for coming.”

“Please, no need for formality, we are not student and teacher, at the moment, just friends." Ibis motioned for Callum to take the seat across from him before speaking again. “ Now, Callum, what is it you wanted to talk about?”

Callum took a breath and glanced at Ibis’ staff. “I was wondering, where did you get your staff?”

Ibis blinked and looked at the staff that lay against the wall. “Well, it was a gift from my mentor once he declared my training complete.”

Callum hummed, trying to work up the courage to ask Ibis what he thought about his plan. Finally, he decided to just go for it. “I was wondering, my mom’s spear, it-it was used for dark magic, against her will, after she had…I want to do something, reuse it for something that will bring good to the world, not evil.”

Ibis looked down, thinking. “I’m guessing you wish to use the spear as a staff, yes?”

Callum nodded. “I want to, having her with me, it would make her-make me-happy. I just can’t stand the idea that her spear was used for dark magic.”

Ibid hummed. “And, where exactly is the spear?”

Callum sighed, glancing away. “That’s the thing, the spear… was used to slay the last Dragon King.”

The library was deathly silent as Ibis absorbed the information. Finally, he released the breath he had been holding. “That spear cannot be redeemed. I’m not sure what freeing it would even do, it could very well release a curse that could destroy us all. I’m sorry, Callum, but it is a lost cause. It is best if we do not risk messing with that spear.”

“But there has to be a way to free it without releasing the power; please, is there anything you can think of?” Callum begged.

Ibis thought for a moment. “There may be a spell that I’ve heard of, but it is very complicated, and if done wrong, it is very dangerous.”

“What is it, please, you have to tell me!”

“You seem very determined… very well, but you must promise never to perform this spell unsupervised. Without someone there to stop it, if it goes wrong, you could permanently block your connection to the sky arcanum.”

Callum’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

Ibis stood, gesturing for Callum to follow. “This spell is as old as sky magic itself. It is a sort of binding ritual used by sky mages, often to block the incorrect use of primal magic. Only recently did it get altered to stop the use of dark magic.”

“It can stop dark magic? But how, and how can it stop primal magic?” Callum couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“It blocks the connection of the mage and their primal source. For dark magic, it simply blocks the source of primal magic that the dark mage relies on in order to cast a spell. It does so by targeting the air channel in the body, that carries any energy source from the connection to your fingertips. It is hard to explain, but us sky mages are the only ones to master such a technique, because we understand what connects us all.”

He stopped next to a balcony that lead out to the endless expanse of sky. The sky that stretched and sheltered everything.

“We sky mages understand the air flow that unites us all,” Ibis continued. “Without it, we would all perish, even fish rely on air in order to survive.”

“So…” Callum worked his brain, trying to understand what his master was saying. “This spell suffocates the recipient?”

Ibis hummed. “More like it suffocated the connection, choking off the source of magic in the target.”

Understanding dawned on Callum. “So, with this spell, we could cut off the dark magic long enough to remove the spear without it triggering any reactions!”

Ibis nodded. “That’s the idea. However, the reason many have elected to stay away from this spell is it has nasty repercussions is it is not done properly, even I do not know the rune or draconic to trigger it.”

“If not done correctly, it blocks the primal connection of the mage, permanently.” Callum shut his eyes, tightly, remembering the feeling of being separated from the sky primal the first time. “But, I will do what needs to be done to remove that spear.”

Ibis sighed, but relented. “I understand, you seem very determined. Very well, I will talk with the Queen, if anyone knows the spell in question, it would be her. For now, get some rest. I will come to you about the queen’s decision, promptly.”

Callum bowed to his master and wished him a good night. He climbed the stairs from the library up to where the barracks were. The crystals above cast an eerie glow over him, as if they knew about the dangerous act he had just committed himself to. As he got to the floor with the barracks, he passed a few doors, one that technically belonged to him, but he never used. Mostly he just kept extra junk in there. He continued down the hall before stopped at the last door on the left. He and Rayla decided early on that they would share a room, despite the weird looks they received from everyone else.

Callum smiled softly, warmed that someone would be inside to greet him. He opened the door slowly, smiling at the scene before him. Rayla sat on their bed, he hair falling in her face, sharpening her blades. Callum has once noted how much care she put into them, which she smiled about.

‘Ethari made them for me before I went on my first mission. In moonshadow elf culture, an elf is very connected to their weapon of choice.’

Callum had blushed at that, asking about the time she had let him use one to climb that gigantic tree, to which Rayla claimed was very scandalous, making both of them blush.

In his reminiscing, Callum didn’t notice Rayla staring at him, a teasing smirk on her face. “Callum, yoo hoo, you in there?”

Callum blinked before shaking his head. “Sorry, was just thinking about something.”

Rayla raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And what might that be?”

Callum smirked. “Oh, just that time you let me borrow your blade, knowing full well it was so scandalous.”

Rayla blushed, puffing out a laugh. Callum grinned and walked over to the bed, sitting next to Raya. He slid his arms around her and brought her close. She sighed, curling up into him, sweetly kissing him on the chin. They stayed like that for a moment, basking in each other’s love and warmth before Rayla pulled away. 

“So, what is it you and Ibis talked about for so long?”

Callum began to explain everything to Rayla, thankful Rayla allowed him to explain everything, even when her expression remained apprehensive. Finally, when he was done explaining, she responded.

“Callum, are you are you sure you want to do this? I saw you after you lost magic for the first time, it’s like you lost a piece of yourself! And now, you’re closer to the sky arcanum than ever before, if you mess up, everything you’ve worked for would be gone.”

Callum closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “That’s why I can’t mess up. Ibis said that he would ask Queen Zubeia for help. With her assistance, everything will be fine.”

Rayla sighed. “I hope so. I don’t think I could handle seeing you in so much pain, not again.”

Callum smiled and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I have to do this, Ray.”

Rayla smiled slightly and kissed him back. “I know, and I will support you every step of the way.”

They stayed like that until the moon was high in the sky before they went to bed, preparing for the days to follow.

~~~

Callum got word from Queen Zubeia a few days later. He tried not to show his impatience every time he talked to Ibis, who declared he had yet to hear her opinion on the matter, but it was hard not to show his excitement as he walked into the giant chamber where the queen nested. Queen Zubeia sat regally in the middle, overlooking a training session between Rayla and the other dragon guard. Zym, now the size of a large dog, sat next to his mother, looking like he just wanted to play with the guard members.

Callum couldn’t help but smugly grin as Rayla single-handedly took on all the guard members. Over the months, her skills had only sharpened. The Dragon Guard members were some of the best in their selected nations and tribes, so the fact Rayla could so easily dupe them all was even more remarkable.Very fancy slishing and slashing going on. 

Ibis cleared his throat, drawing back Callum’s attention. He had once been embarrassed to be caught checking out his girlfriend, but now he was just proud of her. He and Ibis descended the stairs, interrupting the sparring match as Queen Zubeia took notice of them. She held up a wing, halting the training session.

“Thank you, you are dismissed. Please, go and relax, you have all done well today.” The Queen instructed.

The Dragon Guard bowed, grabbing their things before departing. All except Rayla, who walked over to where Callum was standing and kissed him on the cheek, before grabbing his hand.

“Aw, you’re all sweaty! Gross!” Rayla jabbed him in the ribs, but stood her ground and continued to hold his hand.

Zubeia looked at them, a sad look in her eyes. No doubt she was thinking about Avizandum. Zym, thankfully, broke the tension as he plowed them over, giving them countless cuddles and zappy kisses.

Callum and Rayla laughed, giving Zym the scratches he demanded. The Dragon Queen smiled at their antics.

“Callum,” she called, halting their play session. “I’m glad you have come, Ibis told me what your plan was, and while I find it admirable you would sacrifice something so dear to you for your mother, I must warn you of the danger.”

“I understand. I appreciate your concern, your majesty, but I need to do this, no matter the risk.” Callum bowed low to the great Dragon Queen. Rayla and Ibis were still apprehensive, but they remained silent.

Queen Zubeia nodded. “Very well. This spell is very ancient, and must be handled carefully. Before you attempt to perform it, I will drill you over the pronunciation and the rune, so that you do not even have to think about performing it, it will become a second nature to you. Are you ready?”

Callum nodded, stealing himself. Rayla kissed him one last time on the cheek and squeezed his hand reassuringly before stepping away, joining Ibis at the top of the stairs. Queen Zubeia nodded before turning back to Callum.

“The rune is simple and complex, much like the act of breathing.” She began to drag one of her magnificent claws through the dirt, creating two curves, like an air current, the bottom one gently wrapping around the other. Another, final, line was added, which crossed straight through the others, curled at the ends. “The draconic that goes with it, is also simple and complex. It is ‘vena obstructionum’. In your language, it means current block, roughly. I want you to practice drawing the rune in your sketchbook, until you’ve mastered it. Before that, repeat the spell back to me, I will direct you through the pronunciation.”

Callum nodded and repeated after her. It took a few tries for him to say it perfectly, and even longer for him to say it effortlessly. After Queen Zubeia had declared it perfect, he began to draw the rune. This was easier for him to master. The shape of the rune was easy, but the details made it complex. The slight curves and swirls of the rune were graceful, but challenging to perfect. Finally, Queen Zubeia declared him ready. 

“You have done well, you are ready to perform the spell. I will meet you down there before sun high. Prepare yourself!” Queen Zubeia rose, rousing Zym from the nap he had opted to take during their “boring magic stuff”.

Callum bowed as she flew away, out of the giant sky light, Zym right on her tail. Callum continued staring after them, even as the reassuring pressure of Rayla’s hand in his steadied him. 

“Are you ready for this?” She asked, looking at him, concerned.

Callum closed his eyes, thinking about her question. He was about to do something crazy, something that could take away everything he worked towards, but he felt strangely calm. His nerves had settled, his resolve strong. He squeezed Rayla’s hand, thankful she was here with him, and nodded. “Yes, I don’t think I’ve ever been more ready for anything.”

Rayla smiled and leaned into him, before they started their trip to the place of Avizandum’s last stand.

~~~

Callum stared up at the statue, his eyes glued to the spear that, within the hour, would be out and in his possession. He contemplated what would happen to the King after the spear was extracted, though he supposed he was about to find out.

A dark shadow passed overhead. He and Rayla looked up to find Queen Zubeia circling down to them. Callum knew this was a painful spot for her to come to, and he was glad to have her support. Ibis followed soon after, flapping his wings to slow his descent. Zubeia and Ibis landed next to each other, each wearing nervous expressions. Callum couldn’t blame them, he had been feeling nervous ever since Queen Zubeia had declared him ready. However, now that they were down here, he felt strangely calm. 

The Queen took an anguished look at her mate before tearing her eyes away to focus on Callum. “Are you ready?”

Callum squeezed Rayla’s hand before letting go and stepping forward. “Yes, your majesty.”

Zubeia nodded. “Very good. Ibis will be here in case anything goes amiss. Remember to focus solely on your target, this spell requires precision.”

Callum nodded and turned towards Avizandum. He walked forward until the spear was in his line of sight. The sense of calm and collectedness that normally accompanied him when he did his magic, fell over him as he raised his arm, pointer finger out. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He felt the magic in him ignite as it always did when he performed a spell. The soft, comforting, feeling spurred him on and he began to draw the rune. 

Writing in the air was different than drawing in his sketchbook, but the rune came just as easy. He went slow and steady as he neatly drew the rune, taking care not to miss any important details. With one last breath, he spoke. “ Vena Obstructionum.”

A spiral of glowing air appeared in his palm. Without even registering what he was doing, he focused on the spear and thrust his palm forward. A thin jet of air extended like an arrow, straight to where the dark magic had embedded itself into the spear. It wrapped around the head of the spear in a tightly woven ball of air, before it sank into the weapon. 

“Rayla, now!” He heard Zubeia urge, but he kept his concentration on the task at hand. It felt strange, he had closed his fist, binding the object, but the longer he held it, the more the magic resisted being contained. Something was struggling against his fist, somehow Callum knew if he opened his fist, the binding would be broken. 

He vaguely registered Rayla scaling the statue to reach the spear. While the resistance grew, every bone in Callum’s body was telling him that he must not open his fist, or Rayla would be in grave danger. So, Callum stood his ground, and clenched his fist as tightly as he could manage. Finally, Rayla got to the spear. As she grabbed the handle, it was like an untamed horse being grabbed by the reins. Callum cried out as a strong force knocked into him. Rayla cried out as well, whatever this magic was, it didn’t want to be messed with.

‘Too bad.’ Callum thought as he grit his teeth. Rayla seemed to think the same as her hold on the spear tightened and she pulled. 

The spear dislodged itself, like it was pushing away from the Dragon King. Rayla fell to the ground, rolling to her feet, spear in hand. Drained, Callum unclenched his fist, staring wide-eyed as smoke drifted from his palm. The spear in Rayla’s hands began to glow, the dark magic at its head swirled, now as active as ever. They would need to be careful, any cut from that spear in this condition, and Avizandum wouldn’t be the only fatality it causes.

Ibis rushed over and checked his palm. After a thorough examination, he declared Callum ok, just an overuse of magic. He warned Callum not to use magic for a few days. While it bummed Callum out, he decided it was for the best. Rayla walked over, holding the spear, delicately. Callum couldn’t blame her, any touch from that spear could be deadly. 

Zubeia looked over, opening her mouth, about to say something when a large quake interrupted her. They looked up to see Avizandum’s body beginning to crumble. Zubeia quickly knocked a chunk of stone away before ordering everyone to climb on. They narrowly avoided being squashed by the debris as they flew over to the other hill top. They turned in time to watch as Avizandum turned to dust, right before their eyes. A golden ball was all that was left before it dispersed into the air.

“What happened?” Rayla asked, clutching the spear tightly.

“The magic that had produced the stone was removed. With no magic, the spell could not hold its shape and thus faded.” The Queen said, a soft smile growing on her face. “That light was no doubt Avizandum’s spirit, finally passing on.”

Callum smiled at her. “I’m glad more than one good thing has come from this.”

Zubeia nodded before looking at the spear. “Now that it has been removed, we must now drive the dark magic from it.”

Callum and Rayla exchanged a look. “And how would we do that, your majesty?” He asked.

“By going to Lux Aurea, of course.” Ibis chimed in, stepping towards them.

“What’s in Lux Aurea?” Rayla asked.

Queen Zubeia smiled.” One of Lux Aurea’s greatest traditions is driving dark magic from users. No doubt this magic could destroy the dark magic infused to the spear.”

“And Aunt Amaya is there!” Callum grinned. “If she knew what we were doing, she would help, no questions asked.”

Zubeia dipped her head. “Then it is settled, you will travel to Lux Aurea to rid the spear of dark magic. Afterwords, I think Rayla knows where you two should head.”

Rayla blinked, confused, before realization dawned on her. “Of course! Callum, we have to see Ethari! He is the best magic item crafter among the moonshadow elves, if anyone can convert the spear into a staff, it’s him!”

Callum grinned, excited his vision was finally coming to fruition. Zubeia nodded. “One last thing. Ibis?”

Ibis stepped forwards, carrying a box with intricate carvings all over it. He handed it over to Callum who carefully opened it, gasping when he saw what was inside.

“A primal stone?” He glanced at Ibis, who shook his head.

“Similar to a primal stone, yes, but not exact. That is a rare sky pearl, a sacred stone that helps channel your connection to the primal source. You will be able to better summon spells without depleting your energy.” Ibis explained.

“That’s amazing!” Callum couldn’t believe they would give him something so incredibly.

“Callum,” Queen Zubeia lowered her head til their eyes met. “You have done a great service to not only Xadia, but to me. Before now, I did not know how to repay you, but I hope this will suffice. I do admit I am doing this for selfish reasons as well, when you return, you will be even stronger than before and will have doors open to you that you never thought possible. Now, I have seen to it you have the supplies needed for your journey. Safe travels you two, and Rayla, protect him.”

Rayla smiled and wrapped an arm around Callum’s waist, pulling him close. “Always, your majesty.”

The two collected their supplies from Ibis and bowed to Queen Zubeia. “Come on, my mage, time to get you a staff.” Rayla dragged him forward.

Callum laughed, sending one last thankful look to Queen Zubeia and Ibis before turning back and taking Rayla’s hand. Onward to Lux Aurea!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum and Rayla travel to Lux Aurea and the Silvergrove in order to make the spear a staff.
> 
> Much more cute Rayllum moments in this chapter, hope you enjoy ^^

They arrived in Lux Aurea a few days later. The trip itself was uneventful, much to Callum and Rayla’s relief. As they traveled, Callum did research on the purification process using a book Ibis had packed for him. The process was quite simple, using the light of the sun nexus to purify any object that had been touched by dark magic. Callum recalled a letter Aunt Amaya had sent a few months back, about how the damage the nexus had sustained from Viren and Aaravos was great, but they were restoring the nexus a bit at a time. Callum could only hope it was strong enough to purify the spear.

The spear itself was wrapped up to prevent anyone from touching the tip. Rayla carried it on her back, and when she had to remove it, she did it slowly, as though moving too fast would trigger it to attack. Callum didn’t mind the extra precaution; the spear was dangerous and should be treated as such. 

Needless to say, with all the caution regarding the spear, the two let out a collective sigh of relief when they saw the gates to the city. They walked down, hand in hand. Callum smiled when he saw his Aunt Amaya standing at the gates, ready to welcome them. The Dragon Queen had insisted a message be sent right away, to inform Queen Janai of their arrival and the purpose of their visit.

Callum ran up to his aunt, giving her a long hug. Beside Amaya was an elf, their hair done up tightly in short braids, the tips dyed a deep red.

“Hello!” They bowed. “My name is Kazi, I know you don’t need it, Prince Callum, but I am honored to serve as an interpreter for General Amaya.”

“It’s great to meet you, I’m Callum, as you’re aware, and this is my girlfriend, and endless torturer, Rayla.”

Callum squeaked as Rayla jabbed him in the ribs. She gave him a sly, loving look before turning her attention to Kazi. “It’s wonderful to meet you, this doof may not need it, but I sure do. Your assistance is appreciated."

Kazi smiled. “It is my pleasure.” They glanced at Aunt Amaya, who had not signed anything since their arrival, her eyes glued on his mother’s spear, strapped to Rayla’s back. Finally, she signed something before walking off.

“ ‘Let’s head to the palace, Janai is waiting for us.’” Kazi interpreted. They began to follow his aunt towards the palace. 

The city was incredible, even in the setting sun, it was as bright as though it were midday. Rayla seemed uncomfortable, and Callum understood why: this place was the complete opposite of the Silvergrove. He grabbed her hand, giving her a comforting squeeze. Her squeeze back was all he needed to know she was grateful.

The palace wasn’t too far away, just a short walk from the city plaza. Shops and tenders ran the length of the road, crowds massing to see the various wares. As they made it to the palace, the guards bowed when they passed. Finally, they reached the palace gates.

“‘Janai is waiting inside, I’ll take you to your rooms first and then we can decide what to do with… that.’” Kazi said as Aunt Amaya took one last look towards the spear, before turning to lead them into the palace. Callum got the feeling his aunt was not pleased to see this spear. She probably hated what had been done to a weapon so symbolic of his mother, which Callum could relate to. Hopefully when she learned what Callum intended to do with it, she would be happy the spear would be used for good instead of evil.

She led them to their rooms, stopping to drop off Rayla. She gave him a look, they came to a quiet understanding, and Rayla took the spear and carefully handed it to Callum. He would deposit his things in his assigned room before coming to find her so they could head to the throne room where Queen Janai was waiting for them. 

Aunt Amaya gestured for him to follow, and led him further down the hall, before stopping at another door. She glanced down the hall before looking back, a knowing glint in her eye.

‘Behave.’ She signed, before walking off, Kazi following right behind her.

“Don’t I always?” He retorted, pouting a bit before turning back to the door.

The room inside was bright and spacious, a window looked out towards the sun nexus. As if sensing the nexus’ power, the spear in his hand seemed to grow heavy. He frowned and decided putting it down for now was for the best. Once he had set everything down, he immediately made his way to Rayla’s room. He knocked, and instantly, the door flew open and Rayla was in his arms. He smiled softly and held her tight. She sighed, pressing her face into the crook of his neck. Nothing needed to be said, she didn’t feel comfortable here, and was silently pleading with him not to leave her side again. He might have found it funny that the amazing and beautiful and “quite daring” captain of the Dragon Guard, was so clingy. However, with everything that had happened recently, he was more worried than anything.

They stayed like that for another moment before pulling away, hands still connected. 

Callum smiled and rested his forehead against hers. “Are you ready?”

He felt her nod. “Let’s go then shall we?”

They walked, hand in hand, down to the throne room, led by one of the guards. Inside, Queen Janai sat with Aunt Amaya beside her, Kazi stood to her right. They walked up and bowed to the queen, who only laughed.

“Please rise, Rayla, Callum. It is my pleasure to welcome you to Lux Aurea. When I read your letter, I was happy we could assist you.”

“That means the sunforge is working again?” Callum asked, excited, before remembering he was talking to royalty. “Oh, ah, s-sorry.”

Queen Janai chuckled. “No worries, and yes, the forge is working. It is not perfect, I would not trust any human to attempt purification, but an item should not be an issue.”

Callum smiled, excited that they were on the cusp of finally purifying his mother’s weapon. He bowed to the queen after she gave him instruction to meet at the sunforge tomorrow during midday, when the sun was at its peak. Just as he was about to walk back with Rayla, his Aunt Amaya stopped him. She looked uncomfortable, which was shocking to see from such a confident individual. She signed, asking him if they could talk in private. He glanced at Kazi, who relayed the information to Rayla.

“Is it ok?” He asked, concerned about leaving her alone.

But Rayla smiled, not willing to show her hesitance with others around. “Go on, we’ll meet for dinner.”

He nodded, trying to project reassurance to her. She seemed to understand as she nodded and walked away after a quick bow to Aunt Amaya and Queen Janai. 

“She is strong. It can’t be easy for her to be so out of her element here.” Aunt Amaya remarked, nodding after Rayla.

“She’ll be fine. We won’t be staying long, and soon we’ll be off to the Silvergrove, her home turf. I know she’s excited for that.” Callum smiled, suddenly anticipating their dance, he just hoped it didn't go as badly as last time.

Aunt Amaya nodded before gesturing for him to follow. Kazi didn’t come with, understanding that this was a family matter. She led Callum out on a balcony that overlooked the city. They were quiet for a minute, Callum soaking in the view. Finally, Aunt Amaya turned to him. 

“Where is the spear?”

“Oh, I put it in my room, out of the way. Don’t want to accidentally trip on it and turn to stone.” He laughed, but stopped when he saw Aunt Amaya was not amused. She was clearly distressed about everything going on, and immediately, Callum felt guilty.

“Callum,” she started. “I am worried about that spear. While I am grateful and proud that you are trying to right the wrongs forced on something so close to Sarai, I do not know about this. The magic Viren used to corrupt the spear, it was pure evil, even worse than your average dark magic spell. I trust in the purification ceremony, but that will not erase the spear’s history. Those who know what it did may judge you severely when they see you with it.”

Callum looked away, out across the city to the sunforge, once again glowing brightly, even as the sun set. You could still see the remnants of the corruption. A dark purple ring surrounded the sphere, struggling against the light in the middle. 

“I understand, Aunt Amaya. But, I knew that before deciding to do this. Even the Dragon Guard members looked at me, judging my decision to use such an evil weapon as my staff, but that’s exactly why I have to do this. I can’t stand the idea that mom’s spear would be thought of as something that only brings evil and destruction.

“When I was little, she would show me moves and how to handle it. I could barely hold it at the time. But when she was demonstrating for me, it was beautiful. I always called it the ‘dance of death’, cheesy, I know. However, even knowing the things that spear had done, I never felt fearful of it. Now though… I am scared of it, and I can’t stand it. I know you’re apprehensive. Many are. But if I didn’t try to do something, I wouldn’t forgive myself.”

Aunt Amaya was still for a moment before she pulled him into a hug. They stayed like that for a minute before she pulled away and signed. “You have grown into an amazing young man. Sarai would be so proud of you.”

Callum felt tears spring up; sniffing, he used his arms to wipe them away. He glanced up, giving his aunt a grateful smile before pulling her in for one more hug. He waved goodbye and walked back to reunite with Rayla.

~~~

The next day, Rayla and Callum made their way to the sunforge. He held the spear by the handle, his grip tightening on it as they neared the pinnacle that held the sun nexus. The evil essence of the spear seemed to twist and writhe in agony as they got closer.

‘Good riddance.’ Callum thought.

They made their way up the stairs, nodding to the guards as they parted to let them pass. When they got to the top, Aunt Amaya, Kazi, and Queen Janai were already there, standing next to the purification circle. They smiled as they entered, gesturing for them to come closer.

“Thank you for being here.” Callum saluted, Rayla quickly following suit.

Queen Janai smiled. “ I am pleased to be able to help. Besides, it is a good opportunity to test the sunforge now that it has been restored. I even procured a new primal stone, though it wasn’t easy , it was necessary. Now, if you are ready, let us begin. Just put the spear in the middle of the purification circle and we will take care of the rest.”

Callum nodded and gently placed the spear in the middle of the circle before stepping back. The dark magic whirled angrily along the tip. Queen Janai motioned to the staff barer, who held a staff similar to the one Viren and Aaravos had stolen, and the ritual began.

He took his staff and stood in front of the source of the sunfire elves’ power. They watched with bated breaths as he recited his spell, drawing a circle rune and pushing his hand through it. The rune burst with light, and a beam of light shot to a narrow path that led to the purification circle. It slowly began to creep, as more ribbons of light wrapped around the staff, lifting it up until it was balanced on the point at the end. The beam of light from the sun nexus slowly made its way to where the staff stood. The closer it got, the more the dark energy writhed. Finally, it struck the circle and the light surrounding the spear. The darkness immediately began to fade, the essence of the creature sacrificed to use the spell crumbled away, until his mother’s spear lay there, the same as he could remember. 

He didn’t realize he was crying until Rayla cupped his face, wiping his tears away with her thumb. “It’s over, we did it.”

Callum hugged her close and kissed her sweetly. “Thanks for being here.”

“Always.” She kissed him again, squeezing him tightly.

They separated as Aunt Amaya, with Queen Janai, came up to them, holding the spear for Callum to claim. He took a deep breath before gripping the handle. No crazy lights flashed from it, no thunder rocked the sunforge, but the moment he took hold of the spear, something clicked in him, like the spear had been waiting a long time for this moment. Aunt Amaya smiled, trying not to cry.

“You look good holding that spear.” She signed.

They hugged and he turned to Queen Janai, once again thanking her. She waved him off, saying she was glad to be of help and was happy the reformation had been a success. After a few more exchanges, Callum glanced once more at the spear before looking at Rayla. 

“Are you ready to head to the SIlvergrove?”

She smiled, relieved. “I thought you would never ask.”

~~~

They arrived at the Silvergrove a week after they left Lux Aurea. Now that the spear was no longer corrupted, and the threat of dying if you so much as grazed the tip was no more, Callum and Rayla decided on a more leisurely pace. Rayla insisted on teaching Callum some spear handling techniques, saying if he was going to carry it everywhere from now on, even as a staff, he would need to learn to not stab himself, which he found reasonable. 

In all honesty, he found he liked using the spear. It was well balanced(not that he knew much about balance, but he trusted Rayla’s judgement) and fit comfortably in his palm. He was nowhere near Rayla in skill, so he wasn’t shocked she had him pinned down within seconds. Though he got a few parries in, which made him hopeful he may be able to protect himself longer than a few seconds if he kept practicing. That, and the kisses Rayla gave him whenever he was bested made him look forward to their little sparring sessions. 

Their leisure was short-lived as they climbed the thick tree limb that led to the Silvergrove. Finally, they reached the space where Rayla and him had danced in order to unlock access to the village. He began to place his things on the ground, when he was cut off by Rayla’s laugh. He glanced up, confused when he saw her cute, but teasing, smile. 

“What’s that smile for?” He laughed.

Rayla placed her hand on her hip and grinned. “Just thinkin’ about how I tricked you to dance with me the first time we visited.”

He blinked. “Wait, tricked?”

She giggled and nodded. “Of course, ya dork. You don’t actually have to dance with me so long as you are in the vicinity when I do the dance. I mean think about it, if a family came up with their newborn and needed to get in, how would the baby gain access? Or Zym, he didn’t exactly dance with us the first time, did he?”

That… made sense, Callum supposed, but he was disappointed he had practiced the steps for nothing. Rayla must have noticed the disappointment on his face, because she stopped laughing and came up to him.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, concerned. 

Callum shook his head and took her hand in his, sliding their fingers together. “Just because I don’t have to dance, doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”

He gently kissed her wrist, the same one that still bothered her from time to time due to the suffocation it had endured, all that time ago. “Now, let’s dance.”

She stared, a blush covering her face, from her nose to her roots, as he placed his stuff down and got into position. Finally, she followed, smiling at him lovingly. The dance was much more fluid this time, Callum still misstepped ever so often, but it was obvious he had been practicing , which filled Rayla with warmth. Was there anything this goof did that didn’t make Rayla fall for him even more.

They barely noticed the Silvergrove appear, content to keep staring at each other. When they finished, Callum pulled Rayla forward and gently kissed her on the temple. She chuckled and playfully pushed him off, before stooping down to grab his sketchbook and her bag.

“Come on then, Ethari won’t wait forever.” She began to walk down the slope to the village center. 

Callum grabbed his spear and his bag, slinging it over his shoulder before following after Rayla. The Silvergrove was just as he remembered, except this time, the other moonshadow elves noticed their appearance. Callum immediately felt singled out as all the elves turned to stare at him, distrust in their gaze. He moved closer to Rayla, grateful for her reassuring presence. 

They moved through the village, Rayla paying mind to the elves as they continued to gather. They had just made it to the pond where the soul flowers were sent to float when assassins went on a mission, when Callum felt something strike him on the head.  
“ Ow…” He grumbled, eyeing the stone someone had thrown at him.

Rayla had stopped, looking out at the crowd, gaze filled with malice. “Who threw it?” She growled.

“Doesn’t matter who!” Someone yelled from the crowd. “We all want him out of here, humans are not welcome in the Silvergrove.”

Callum had been afraid of this. Lux Aurea was different, they worked alongside humans to defeat the man and elf who had ruined their lives. The Silvergrove, however, was filled with elves that had grown up distrusting humans. with nothing to prove to them that humans weren’t anything but barbaric animals.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have come…” Callum murmured. Rayla didn’t pay him any mind as she stepped in front of him, drawing her blades. 

“As Captain of the Dragon Guard, I’ll repeat Queen Zubeia’s orders, nice and clearly. All humans, pure of heart, are allowed on Xadian soul, so long as they respect our boundaries and ways of life. Callum has done nothing wrong; he will not be touched unless you want my or Queen Zubeia’s wrath on ya!” Rayla threatened, looking out to the crowd. 

The other elves scoffed, not fond of Rayla’s threat, but they stayed silent.

“What is going on here?” A voice called from above. They looked up to see Ethari descending the stairs.

“Ethari!” Rayla cried, bounding up the stairs to hug her pseudo dad. Callum watched as the other elves gave him nasty looks before moving on. He walked up the stairs, bowing to Ethari.

“It’s great to officially meet you, sir.” He said, hoping he wouldn’t lash out like the others had. 

His worries were proven to be in vain as Ethari just laughed. “Ah yes, you were in some amusing outfit last time we met, if I recall.”

Callum sputtered. “Amusing? I’ll have you know, it took me days to nail that costume!”

Rayla rolled her eyes, taking his hand. “Try minutes, I would hardly call that ‘nailing’ it.”

Callum feigned hurt before they both burst into fits of giggles. Ethari watched their interaction with interest. They were obviously close, but that interaction hinted at something more than just friendship. He would have to ask Rayla later, but for now…

“Come, let’s get inside and discuss why it is you’re here.” He led them to the door that opened to his workshop. Ethari stepped inside, inviting Callum and Rayla in with a nod. With one last look at the disbanding mob of elves, he followed them in.

Inside was dim, lit by glowing crystals, the same that lined the halls of the Storm Spire. Immediately, Callum was drawn to the magical weapons that lined the walls. All sorts of swords and daggers and bows were displayed, each showing off incredible craftsmanship. Ethari was obviously skilled, which put Callum’s mind at ease that he would be the one in charge of this important assignment. Not that he didn't trust Rayla’s word that her foster dad was an incredible weapons smith, it was just nice to see that in person. 

Ethari walked over to his desk and turned towards them. “Now, it’s wonderful to see you two again, but I must say, I was surprised to see I had gotten a letter from the Dragon Queen herself, actually had me a bit worried. Come to find out you need me to make… a staff?”

Callum looked over at Rayla who gave him an encouraging nod. He turned back to Ethari, grabbing the spear from his back, and held it out to him. “This spear belonged to my mother. It was taken and used for unspeakable things against her will. I can’t stand that it was used in such a way… I want to change that, I know my mom would have wanted that at least. I know we don’t know each other well, but I’m begging, if you could help me turn this into a staff so I can use it for its true purpose, to protect others, I would be so grateful.”

Ethari didn’t speak for a moment, studying Callum closely. Finally, he said, “and how will you use the staff. You are human, you cannot do magic.”

“I know it seems impossible, but, Ethari, you have to trust him. And if you can’t trust him, trust me!” Rayla advocated, causing a blush to sweep Callum’s cheeks. 

Ethari hummed and extended his hand. Callum blinked, gently placing the spear in it. The older elf looked it up and down, an intense fire in his eye, the same one Rayla said he adopted when he worked on a complicated sketch. It was the eye of an artist picturing the final piece. Finally, he looked at Callum and offered up a smile. 

“Alright, I’ll do it,” He said.

Callum grinned. “Really? Thank you so much!”

Ethari inclined his head. “I am still skeptical of your claim that you’re a mage, however, if Rayla vouches for you, I have no reason to doubt her. Now, this should not take long, but it will be a complicated job. Turning a human weapon into a mage’s staff is no easy feat, so I require total silence.”

Rayla rolled her eyes, no doubt having heard the same speech a thousand times. “Yes, Ethari. Come on Callum, let’s go ransack the cupbords.” She began to lead him out.

Before he turned, he suddenly remembered. “Wait!” The two elves blinked as he slung his bag from his shoulder and began rustling through it before finding what he was looking for. “The archmage training me, Ibis, gave me this sky pearl for you to incorporate into the staff.”

Ethari’s eyes widened and he took the box, glancing inside. “Incredible, these are very rare, I’m surprised he gave it to you. He must think very highly of you.”

Callum blushed as Ethari continued. “I’ve never worked with a sky pearl before, how exciting. Now, out with you two, I’ll send word when I’m done.”

He shooed them out, shutting the door, still muttering about the “realm of possibilities”. Rayla rolled her eyes, lovingly. “He always gets so transfixed on a new project, like a certain loud mage I know. Come on, Callum, knowing him, he won’t be out for the next few days. Now let’s go so I can show you around!”

“But what about the other elves?”

“Forget about them, if they mess with us, I’ll just beat them up!” She grabbed Callum’s hand, both of them laughing as they ran off.

~~~

It took a few days until Ethari finally called them back to the workshop. Callum couldn’t contain his excitement as he and Rayla made their way up the steps. Finally, his vision was coming true. 

When they got to the door, Rayla gave him one look before knocking. Immediately, a voice inside instructed them to enter. Callum, not able to wait a moment longer, quickly opened the door.

His eyes instantly fell to his mom’s spear, now fully realized staff, that Ethari was holding. It was incredible, the Katolis red and gold were still prominently displayed, but now it was mixed with a ghostly silver that screamed magic. The sky pearl had been notched into the small hole right before the blades. The blades themselves now had small swirls, a mark specific to Ethari, that glowed the same silver as the outlines along the handle. Magical energy poured from the sky pearl, wrapping around the blade in a delicate dance. 

It was still the spear that Callum remembered his mother wielding, but now it held something else, something entirely Callum. Tears had sprung in his eyes, much to Ethari’s surprise. 

“Is he ok?” He glanced at Rayla, who enveloped Callum in a comforting hug.

“He’s ok, just overwhelmed.” She answered.

Callum gave Rayla a squeeze before turning back to Ethari. “I’m ok, sorry,”

Ethari smiled and looked down at the spear in his hands. “In moonshadow culture, a weapon is very important to its owner, like a part of their own soul. Each weapon is crafted with the wielder in mind. I do not know you very well, and while I hope that will change, I can see you have a good and just heart, it was an honor working on this for you.”

He held it out to Callum, who took it gently by the handle. He blinked as it glowed softly in response to his tough, like it was saying “hello again”. It was weird, before he had felt nothing, even after the dark magic had been expelled, but how there was something there. He wasn’t quite sure, but he swore he could feel his mother’s presence beside him. A hand on his shoulder jolted him back to the present. He glanced over to see Rayla smiling at him expectantly. With a smile back, he turned to Ethari and bowed. 

“I can’t begin to thank you enough. This means more to me than you could imagine. This spear has had a difficult past, but now, as a staff, its future will be to help mend the rift it played a role in creating.” Callum thought back to their entrance to the Silvergrove and grimaced. “While the Battle of the Storm Spire helped bring elves and humans closer than they’ve been in… maybe forever, we have a long way to go before they can start trusting one another.”

Rayla smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder, kissing him on the cheek. Ethari smiled at them, like he had just won a bet with himself, probably him trying to decide what their relationship was. ‘Well now ya know.’ Rayla thought, throwing him a smirk.

She looked back at Callum, a soft resolution filling her heart. “I’ll be with you through it all, and I’m sure your ma will be as well.”

He leaned his head till it met hers, his grip on his staff tightening. “I couldn’t ask for anything more.”


End file.
